INTERNATIONAL KIDS TEACHING KIDS COASTAL CONFERENCE, Caloundra 2010

The Kids Teaching Kids Conference is underway lighting up the Caloundra Events Centre. Conference organisers did a great job kicking things off with respectful acknowledgement of the traditional owners of the land in Caloundra, the Gubbi Gubbi tribe. Then there were the antics of the Postal Pirates and some well known comedians.

Participating in the conference were schools from Tasmania all the way to the Torres Strait. Some words  that seemed to sum up the underlying philosophy of the conference were about sustainability education requiring head (learn), heart (care) and hands (act). And a terrific quote, "If you always do what you've always done then you'll always get what you've already got", Can't argue with that!

If your school hasn't yet pariticpated in one of these conferences I strongly suggest that you put it on your radar and plan to come to the next one. Wonderfully organised and just magic for the participating students.

6th WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CONGRESS, Brisbane, Australia 19-23 July 2011

Invitation to attend

The Australian Association for Environmental Education invites you to join us in Brisbane for the 6th World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC), to be held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 19–23 July 2011.

The United Nations has declared 2005-2014 the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. The 2011 Congress provides an ideal opportunity to showcase how environmental educators are addressing pressing challenges such as climate change and educating young and old so that all are able to enjoy a sustainable future.

The 6th WEEC builds on a strong tradition of sharing the latest in environmental education theory, policy and practice. With an already strong base of environmental education participants, the 6th WEEC seeks to continue to share and build knowledge through a multi-disciplinary, multi-sector approach encompassing a diversity of disciplines and knowledges.

The Congress, titled Explore, Experience, Educate, invites participants to explore and experience the world of environmental education. Throughout the Congress, participants will explore and share new ways of thinking about environmental education, and experience new ways of doing environmental education. We aim to promote, through the Congress, the key role played by environmental education in developing and enriching individuals, communities and societies. In these ways, the 6th WEEC in Brisbane aims to provide a very high quality environmental education experience.

We invite you to join us on this journey of learning, sharing, collaborating and showcasing the best that the world has to offer our region and that Australia and the Asia-Pacific has to offer the world. Visit the website here

Jo-Anne Ferreira & Cam Mackenzie

Congress Co-Chairs 

5th International Marine Debris Conference - 20-25 March 2011

Being visible to the human eye is irrelevant as ghost nets hunt deep in our oceans and gather by the ton on beaches around the world. The slurry of broken down plastics form mats mid ocean and threaten food chains.  The 5th International Marine Debris Conference is looking at Global lessons to inspire local action.

Bringing the Ocean to the Classroom: Green Teacher call for contributions

AUSMEPA recently received a request from our good friend and Principal Advisor (Environmental Sustainability) Teaching and Learning Branch Dept Education & Training QLD to share the following with you:

Call for Contributions:  Bringing the Ocean to the Classroom 

Previous edition of Green Teacher

Green Teacher, the non-profit magazine for youth educators, is pleased to announce that its Spring 2011 issue will be a special theme issue on marine education, The issue will be guest edited by Rick Searle and Krista Zala of Ocean Networks Canada and distributed prior to World Oceans Day on June 8^th.

If you would like to contribute an article, an innovative learning activity, or submit details of an educational resource, or your best marine education photograph, read on!

Why are we doing this special issue – and at 
this time?    

Environmental and marine educators know that we are intimately connected to the world’s oceans, even if we don’t live near a sea coast. For example, disasters like the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill affect many aspects of biological and economic life. Innovative educators have for years been bringing the ocean into their classrooms and non-formal education settings to help young people appreciate the links between their lives and the health of marine ecosystems.

Still, most young people – and their parents – are unfamiliar with the basics of ocean ecosystems and our connections to them. Accordingly, we see the need to devote an edition of Green Teacher to sharing innovative ideas, learning strategies, and activities for engaging people aged 6 to 19 in learning about and acting for the world’s oceans.

Three Ways You Can Contribute

For this special theme issue, we are seeking (1) articles and activities, (2) details of the latest and best marine education resources, and (3) the best marine ed photographs.

1.   If you would like to contribute an article or an activity, please email an outline of the article you would like to write to Krista Zala at kzala@uvic.ca no later than October 15. We are seeking:

·     1-3 short perspective articles for the front of Green Teacher that will motivate youth educators to promote ocean literacy.  (1000-2000 words per article)
·     innovative learning strategies and activities that work for some part of the 6- to 19–year-old age spectrum. (600-3500 words per article)
·     articles and activities that use new technology to teach ocean science or the social issues associated with human impacts on ocean ecosystems to some part of the 6- to 19–year-old age spectrum. (800-2500 words per article)

·         We’d love video clips, images, songs, or podcasts that can help round out the digital version of the Spring issue.

While we anticipate receiving more publishable submissions than we can include in the Spring edition, Green Teacher’s editor Tim Grant welcomes them and will include them in Green Teacher either by adding them to the online edition, weaving submissions with similar themes into a larger piece, or running articles in later issues.

The author of each article/activity selected for publication will receive 5 print copies, access details for the digital version, and a one-year subscription to Green Teacher.

2) Marine education resources for youth: swimming through the deluge. Please send a 50- to 100-word description of your favourite marine ed resource to Krista Zala at kzala@uvic.ca no later than November 30. Please tell us why it’s particularly useful to youth educators and include a website URL where more information can be found. Educators who submit marine ed resources that we select for publication in the Resource Listings for the Spring issue will receive a free copy of the issue.

3) Marine education photographs. Please send your best photos, ideally with young people taking action to improve the oceans, to Krista Zala no later than January 5^th. Creators of photos selected for publication will receive either 5 print copies of the Spring issue OR a one-year subscription to Green Teacher, beginning with the Spring 2011 issue.

Thank you for considering our request.

Krista Zala and Rick Searle for Ocean Networks Canada & Tim Grant, Green Teacher

Download a free issue of Green Teacher   

AMAZING cuttlefish transformations - a good teacher resource

Talk about your Harry Potter invisibility cloaks, these camouflage experts are extraordinary. The ocean is replete with inner space wonders like this. Marine studies teachers help students make the link between keeping our  oceans healthy for these relatives of the seasnail and the intrinsic spin-off benefit for us --  ensuring our own survival. Teachers and students can marvel at more amazing cuttlefish clips here

Many thanks to our colleague Alex Gaut at the Coast and Marine branch of the Conservation Council of South Australia (CCSA) who directed us to have a look at the Amazing cuttlefish transformations page and for the CCSA's excellent community science/education projects like Reef Watch (to name just one).

Find out how to participate in marine community programs in South Australia here

TIME magazine on Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue and the quest to save the ocean

Sargassum --Shaul Swartz/Reportage by Getty for Time

"In her more than 50-year career in ocean science, Earle has studied the deep, dived it and written about it. Now she's trying to save the oceans, and she's focusing on one simple idea: protect them. Create true reserves — marine protected areas (MPAs) — on the high seas, sanctuaries for everything that swims, just as governments have created parks on land. About 12% of the planet's land surface is conserved in some way, but little more than 1% of the 139.5 million sq. mi. of the oceans have any protection whatsoever."

Read more: click here or  
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2020806_2020805_2020796-1,00.html#ixzz11c6Sr4up

International Jellyfish Art Contest

Marine Photobank

Visitors to the ocean know them for their stings, and in many parts of the world people eat them, but did you know that jellyfish are important ocean predators that can be bigger than a human, or as small as a pinhead, or that their numbers may be increasing across the globe?  

We met sea jelly expert Dr Rob Condon in Melbourne many years ago. He's asked  if any Aussie kids/schools would be interested in joining the Jellyfish Art Contest. Find out more here

 International Jellyfish Art Contest 

The Global Jellyfish Group invites your students and children age 12 and under to submit their best artwork of jellyfish to the first ever Jellyfish ROCK student art contest!  We already have involvement from many children in the USA, Bermuda, Spain and Chile but it would be great to have more entries - this is the first ever global jelly art contest!  jellywatch.org/blooms/contest

Age Categories: Pre-school (Under 5); Age 5-8; Age 9-12 

Categories: 

1. Visual art (drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, photography).
2. Multimedia (computer art, animations, movies).

Submissions:  Please see website for details.  Depending on the region, either paper and/or electronic submissions will be collected.  Parents and teachers, please contact your regional representative.

The art should display any aspect of jellyfish, including jellyfish blooms, their biology, their effects on the environment or society, and their role in food webs. 

For more information see ‘Fun facts’ brochure for teachers and parents online. jellywatch.org/blooms/facts 

Jury and Notification: Submissions will be judged by a consortium of international jellyfish researchers and educators.  Artwork should be submitted via mail or email to your regional representative (see website for information) with the student’s name, age, school/country, contact details and title of artwork (optional). 

Contest Winners: Winning submissions will be displayed at the Jellyfish ROCK outreach event in Santa Barbara, CA, on 20 November 2010.  Prizes will be presented to the winning pieces in each age category & will be displayed at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History at that time.

DUE DATE: Entries must be received by 5 p.m. local time on November 1, 2010.  Winners will be announced November 12, 2010

Good luck & happy drawing!

The Global Jellyfish Group

Rob Condon, PhD

Research Scientist

Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL)

101 Bienville Blvd

Dauphin Island, AL 36528

Skype ID: mnemiopsis007

Phone: (251) 861-2141 x7546

Email:  rcondon@disl.org